Today I've been pondering the relationship between two of God's attributes: justice and mercy. Multiple Book of Mormon prophets teach us that God is both just and merciful, including Lehi (2 Nephi 2:12), Nephi (2 Nephi 11:5), Jacob (Jacob 4:10), King Benjamin (Mosiah 5:15), Alma (Alma 42:15), and Mormon (3 Nephi 26:5, Mormon 6:22). It's... Continue Reading →
Why Did Adam and Eve Have to Break a Commandment of God? – 2 Nephi 2:15-25
Lehi taught his son Jacob that the Fall of Adam and Eve was a necessary step for their happiness and for ours. He explained what would have happened if they had not eaten the forbidden fruit: Everything would have been stagnant, unchanging. Adam and Eve would not have had children. They would not have experienced joy... Continue Reading →
How Can I Make Wiser Choices?
As I've pondered 2 Nephi 2 today, I've had the following insights about how to make good decisions: Start by reframing your circumstances as opportunities instead of obstacles. Lehi told Jacob that God would consecrate his afflictions for his gain (2 Nephi 2:2) and that the Fall of Adam and Eve made happiness possible (2... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Clarify?
This is the fifth of six posts answering a set of questions recommended by President Russell M. Nelson. So far, I have written about what the Book of Mormon is, what it affirms, what it refutes, and what it fulfills. Today, I will write about what it clarifies. As I wrote yesterday, the Book of... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Affirm?
This is the second in a series of posts answering a set of questions recommended by President Russell M. Nelson. In yesterday's post, I discussed what the Book of Mormon is. Today, I will discuss what the Book of Mormon affirms. The Book of Mormon affirms many truths. As I've pondered this question today, I've... Continue Reading →
What Is Wisdom?
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Jacob gives us the following counsel: "O be wise; what can I say more?" (Jacob 6:12). Near the end of the book, the prophet Moroni advises us, "Be wise in the days of your probation" (Mormon 9:28). The words "wisdom" and "wise" appear exactly 100... Continue Reading →
Why Would God “Inflict” Things on Us?
This is the second of three posts in response to a question I received last week. Yesterday, I wrote that God's love is most clearly demonstrated in the life and suffering of Jesus Christ, that the Savior feels genuine empathy for us, and that when we experience God's love, we are filled with joy. Today,... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach about Sacrifice?
Early in the Book of Mormon, the concept of sacrifice appears. Lehi and his family had certainly given up much to follow the Lord's command, abandoning their comfortable living in Jerusalem to travel in the wilderness. But Lehi's son Nephi saves the word "sacrifice" for a more specific usage. When he and his brothers return... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to “Cast Out Devils?”
Twenty-four times in the New Testament we read about devils being "cast out" of people. All of these passages appear in the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The gospel of Mark even ends with the Savior promising that those who believe in Him will have power to cast out devils (Mark 16:17). The... Continue Reading →
